Nike’s Move to Zero has kicked off and we’re teaming up with a number of Heroes in Sustainability. Over the past few weeks, we’ve had the low down on Michael and Victoria, and this time – we’re talking sustainability with Widya (@widyassoraya).
Widya is a 23-year-old social work student and YouTuber from the Netherlands. For the past 3 years, she’s been making big changer in her life after feeling like everything she was doing was bad to the planet, as well as herself! Wanna’ know how? Check it out.
How do you aim to live a more sustainable life, what changes are you making?
I started watching some documentaries (binge watched 5 in one night), cried my eyes out and turned vegan immediately. I also threw away all my cleaning and beauty products and swapped them for natural and ecological products. Another thing I started paying attention to was the amount of food I wasted. I used to buy so many groceries, which I could never finish in one week. This needed to stop. Along with this I also made small changes like: go thrifting instead of ‘regular shopping’, always bring my own water bottle, bag and straw made of glass and always check the lights before I leave the house.
What tips would you give to your followers to work towards a sustainable lifestyle?
Start small! Remember that we don’t need a small group of people who live a perfect sustainable lifestyle: we need loads of people doing the best they can. Maybe swap your regular milk for a plant based milk? Try to eat less meat in a week? Or set a timer for your showers. Small changes can have a huge impact if more people would consistently do it.
Who would you encourage your followers to research into if they are looking to lead a more sustainable lifestyle?
You can check out my IGTV with JD and Nike on my Instagram, where I list a few accounts that are worth a follow if you are looking for tips for a sustainable lifestyle. Also: do your research! Information is so accessible nowadays, take advantage of that! Try watching the following series on Netflix to make a start: The true cost, Minimalism, Cowspiracy and Planet Earth.
Have you felt more responsible sustainably since documenting your lifestyle on YouTube?
Yes I do! I find it important to spread the right message out to this world within my videos. Helping my followers to not only love themselves, but also the planet they live on, is definitely something I try to do.
Do you have any tips for followers who want to become more sustainable with their fashion and lifestyle choices?
Go thrifting and search for brands that care about selling sustainable items!! Also: stop being skeptical about the design of sustainable products. A lot of people make weird faces when I tell them I wear sustainable items because they always expect it to look like a trashbag. Well, it doesn’t!! I think it’s great to see that Nike cares about sustainability and has the quote: Move to Zero on the shoebox of the Nike Air VaporMax 2020 Flyknit, which is made out of at least 50% trash!! They walk like heaven and look fantastic ?
